by Liza James
So, I stand and move towards the corner of his office, where the small space houses his medical supplies, a small shelving unit of books and personal items, and the narrow hospital bed he uses to treat his patients. I assume he spends a lot of his time here, doing the work he’s most passionate about and for some reason, that part of him calls to me. He hasn’t been here quite as much recently, not since the Danner incident. He still comes and goes as he pleases, but he ends up spending most of his time in his office at home.
I trail a finger across the soft cotton of the bed, slowly stepping towards the worn wooden shelves that carry things more personal to him. I immediately notice a framed picture of him and Elijah, both smiling slightly, not too wide or too cheerful. Neither of them are great beams of fucking sunshine, that’s for damn sure. Maybe at one point, when I first met Nathanial, I thought he was the happier one of the two—more playful. But the longer we’ve been around each other the more I realize how incredibly wrong I was in that assessment.
Directly next to the frame sits two deep red wrist bands and I immediately recognize them as mine and his from our night at Pandora’s Box so long ago. The date is stamped across the edge in faded black ink. I’m confused why he would keep them, that night was not one I want to remember. It was the night Camden took Luna, the night she nearly died after Amelia strung her up and stabbed her. I had been beside myself, uncontrollably crying while Nathanial tried to calm both me and Elijah down. We searched for her for hours—I truly thought I had lost her. Thankfully, Elijah was able to use his Fated bond to find and heal her when their blood connection had been blocked.
“Ah, so you’re the little Succubus.”
The deep, masculine voice catches me off guard as I whip my head around and quickly pull my hand away from the shelf. A tall, intimidating man stands in the doorway. His stature is powerful, engulfing the space in his darkness. His broad chest leads to a narrow torso, where his hip casually rests against the frame. He’s dressed in a fitted set of distressed dark wash jeans paired with a stark white cut off hoodie. His sinewy arms are crossed indifferently around his chest, and his sleek auburn hair is cut close on the sides, deliciously long on top. His jaw and lower face are darkened in a shadow of scruff.
He’s adorned with jewelry and his tattoos trail down his biceps and wrap around his wrists. They look to be some sort of intertwining flames that compliment his entire demeanor. Dark, blazing, intense.
He doesn’t come off like a Fallen Angel. No, there’s nothing angelic about him. He’s rougher around the edges, something a little more anarchic about him that lingers below the surface. He’s dark and chaotic. Unease rolls through my chest at the sight of him. But I’m not afraid—no. I’m intrigued by him even more because of it. Hell, even Elijah, covered in his countless tattoos and piercings has a softer edge than this guy.
He’s incredibly attractive, but I’m not drawn to him in the same way my body calls to Nathanial. However, I can absolutely get down with the idea of him being my mentor.
“You must be Leon,” I say, taking a step away from him and leaning against the small counter in Nathanial’s medical corner.
“Your incredibly talented, deliciously sexual, tragically charming educator on all things Succubi?” he says confidently as he moves from the doorway and stalks towards me. “Yeah, that’s fuckin’ me.”
“Humble, too? Wow, how did I luck out with you?” A slight smile tugs at my lips. I’m already captivated by our familiar banter.
“Now that, darling, is the real question, isn’t it?” He towers over me, placing each of his large hands on either side of my shoulders against the counter. His fingers are covered in rings, some small and thin while others are bigger, housing beautiful gemstones I couldn’t even begin to identify. He taps them in a rhythm that chimes and ticks through my blood. He dips his head lower, bringing his lips close to my ear. “I’m such a busy man, how will I ever find the time to handle you?”
The way he phrases his question causes my heart rate to kick in my chest and a sweat to break out across my skin. “You couldn’t handle me,” I bite out, leaning back and meeting his fierce gaze with my own. He scoffs, his eyes dancing between mine as he tries to read me.
“Oh Red, how I beg to differ.” He smiles, something devilishly handsome and I can’t help but smile right back. He’s already given me a nickname, taking privilege over some odd sense of familiarity we hold within each other. But I know to be careful, I haven’t spent much time around other Demons outside of Danner.
“How do I know I can trust you?” I ask hesitantly, tilting my head to the side as I inspect him closer. His lips are rosy, ripe and swollen as if he’s just finished kissing someone else. Which, I guess wouldn’t surprise me. But they draw me in even more when his long, sharp tongue slides out and runs along his lower lip.
“Easy,” he says darkly. “You don’t.” He lifts his hand and drops it to my shoulder, his thumb runs harshly along my collar bone and instantly, my body tunes in to his sexual energy. “However, if you want to make sure I’m truly an Incubus, I’ll gladly let you in, Red.”
His fingers slide to the back of my neck as he tugs me forward, dropping his forehead against mine. Fuck, his eyes. They’re like the night sky. Dark and so near black that they almost suck you into a cosmic abyss. They’re harsh, cold, and sharp as they cut through me and an electric shiver immediately bolts down my spine.
I draw in a breath at the nearness of him and the immediate heated tension that blooms between us. I feel that milky fog slip over my eyes and he releases a quiet, but demonic laugh.
“Oh babe, we’re going to have to fix that,” he says before pausing for a brief moment. I’m not sure what he’s referring to, but suddenly I’m eager to learn everything he’s offering me. “But for now? Fuck it.” I watch as his eyes ghost over and his grip tightens around the nape of my neck. “All right, close your eyes and push out in your mind. You can slip into mine rather easily, I’m not fighting you.”
“I don’t understand. I’ve never done anything like this before,” I whisper the words quietly, somewhat embarrassed at my lack of ability as a Succubus.
“You can feel me. Focus on my touch, on the feel of my breath against your lips, on the sound of my voice as it slips through your ears.” His voice drops several decibels, coming out in choppier, sexier bits and I try to focus on how that causes my body to respond.
I tilt my head back and forth a bit, feeling his long fingers press against my skin as he steps just a bit closer, bringing our chests flush against each other. My heart is thundering inside of me, kicking and throbbing to feed from our tension.
I mentally reach out, tentatively seeking his own mind with mine until I finally, gently breach his barriers. It’s like stepping into a place I’ve already been before. I’ve never met him, but I know this. This hungry ache that seeks the connection of others, constantly looking and searching until it’s fully fed.
Breathing in deeply, I taste the familiarity on his breath, his similar gridwork that reminds me of my own and of Danner’s. But I’ve never intentionally sought anything like this out before, and instantly another similarity races through my mind.
“What’s your kink, Red?” Leon’s raspy voice cuts through my thoughts and distracts me.
“What do you mean? I don’t have one.” I enjoy sex. In general, all kinds of sex really. I’m not too picky.
“Everyone has a kink. Especially Incubi and Succubi. Sure, we feed off of any and all sexual tension. It’s everywhere, constantly aching and begging for attention. But we, darling, have specific needs and desires that stroke us in ways everything else doesn’t.” His lips brush against my jaw and my head tilts on its own, seeking more of his touch, more of what he’s giving me. “Let’s see, is it role-playing? You like pretending that you’re someone else when you fuck?”
I laugh, lifting my hands and dragging them up his arms. “No.”
“How about Electrostimiluation?” he says as he b
ites my ear and tugs it into his mouth. “Not my favorite, along with foot fetishes, but fuck. If I have to in order to release your ultimate Succubi, I guess I’ll bite the bullet.”
“Oh my god, no,” I gasp, surprised at everything he’s listing.
“I’ll tell you mine,” he whispers, temptation lingering in his words. “More than one.” Quickly, his hands roughly grip my hips as he suddenly flips me around and presses his incredibly hard erection into my ass.
“More than one, what?” I urge him, pushing back against him and feeling his hot breath coast across my shoulder.
“More than one lover. Doesn’t matter who, guy or girl. Doesn’t matter how they’re involved. They can watch, fuck, join in, control it. I don’t give a shit, but when there’s more than one, that’s when I’m really fucking turned on.” One of his hands grips my hip tightly as the other slides up my back and into my hair. I feel it as the long strands wrap around his fist and he jerks my head back towards him. A heated whimper falls from my lips on command and I physically feel my body relax into his hold.
“Ah, that’s interesting.” His voice is harsh and quiet against the soft skin below my ear. “Is dominance your thing, Red?”
“What the fuck is going on in here?” Nathanial’s hard voice booms around us and my eyes immediately snap open. I pull out of Leon’s grip on my hip and he reluctantly releases my hair when I step away. I can’t help but notice the way Nathanial is tense and breathing heavily as he stands in the door to his office.
“Exactly what you think is going on,” Leon answers for us, turning to face him as he places himself directly next to me. No shame, no embarrassment, and I fucking love him for it.
“You’re supposed to be teaching her how to feed, how to use her Succubus nature for herself. Not snagging random hookups in my fucking office.”
“And how exactly, did you think I’d be teaching her to do all of that? Did you honestly think I could show her how to feed from others sexually, without being sexual with her myself? Come on, Nathanial. You aren’t that fucking stupid.”
A low and unnerving growl radiates from deep within his chest as he steps forward and directly into Leon’s space. They are both large men, standing nearly the same height, with Nathanial just a bit taller. Both ripple with tense and constrained muscles and a tick settles deep in Nathanial’s jaw. But Leon has an air of flippancy about him, like he couldn’t really care less about what’s taking place. He’s alert, and ready, but his lax features and crossed ankles show me the detachment he has in all of this.
I actually fucking appreciate it.
Because I don’t want strings. Strings are messy, they get tangled and knotted and pull too tightly when I need to break free. I just want to learn and fuck and not worry about the emotions behind it.
Besides, I’m already tangled too tightly with someone else, and I’m waiting for those ties to snap and leave me crashing to the ground.
I push the thought away and maneuver myself in between Nathanial and Leon, facing towards the former. I place my hands on his chest and feel the power he’s holding back with each labored breath. “Nathanial, you know this is the right thing. He wasn’t doing anything I didn’t invite into my space. We’re good here.”
“Yeah, we’re fucking great here.” Leon snaps out behind me, letting the words roll off his tongue and linger in the tight space between each of us. Nathanial tenses and crushes his body into mine as he leans his face closer to Leon’s.
“I’d watch your fucking mouth if I were you.” The boiling anger threading tightly through his voice sends a bolt of heat and worry washing through me. I can’t let myself feel anything in response to this supposed possessiveness he’s showing, because the second I let myself go there, I’m reminded that he actually doesn’t want anything to do with me.
“All right, all right dickheads. Both of you take a step back and fucking breathe. I don’t want to babysit either of you,” I chirp the words out as I gently push Nathanial away and step forward, placing a solid foot in between us all.
“Nathanial, for fuck sake. I’m not your guys’ bitch, but if I have to listen to Elijah complain about Luna’s safety one more fucking time, I’m going to kill you a—” Amelia’s voice sounds from the hallway just as she turns into the office and appears before us. But her sentence is abruptly cut off as soon as her eyes land on Leon.
I glance back to him and notice that his entire demeanor has changed. Everything. He’s standing straight, his full height being magnified by the fact that his arms and legs are incredibly tense with restrained strength. His eyes are hard and narrowed, and his brows are furrowed in what looks to be a mix of disbelief and resentment.
“Leon,” I snap my fingers in his face, trying to gain his attention when I feel Nathanial step to my side in order to watch the odd interaction as well. Leon doesn’t even flinch in response to my hand in his face and when I look back to Amelia, her entire body is vibrating with tension and fear. I can see it in the way her eyes are shimmering and wide as she watches him.
“Fuck,” she whispers as she turns and immediately launches out of the room.
“Out of my fucking way,” Leon grinds out as he darts past us and after Amelia.
I immediately follow after, confusion and surprise pulling at my own features. I shake off the remaining fog that had drifted through me when Leon and I were alone and let my mind focus on what’s happening now.
As I round the corner and emerge into the hallway, I hear Nathanial’s heavy steps behind me. I feel his presence as our eyes land on the intense conversation taking place between Amelia and Leon.
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you right this fucking second,” Leon’s voice is heavy and dark as he pins Amelia’s small frame against the wall. He has his tattooed fingers wrapped tightly around her throat, lifting her inches from the floor while her toes reach down to allow her some sort of support. But she’s quick, and even while he has her cornered in his grasp, she has her hand pressed against the side of his throat, a small razor blade breaking his skin just slightly enough to leave a trail of blood flowing down beneath the collar of his sweatshirt.
A brief thought flashes through my mind, curious how she somehow obtained a razor blade when we’re all so focused on keeping weapons away from her. A sadistic smile spreads across her face, but I don’t miss the way her eyes are pooling slightly with tears. I can’t tell if it’s due to lack of oxygen or from their interaction in general.
“Because I’m quick. And I’ll kill you first, Demon.”
Nathanial casually leans against the wall behind me and I glance back, widening my eyes and nodding towards the two of them in hopes that he steps in to break it up.
“At this point, I prefer they kill each other. So, I’m simply here to watch—Red.” He uses the nickname that Leon gave me with a bitter bite to his tone and I roll my eyes in annoyance at his blatantly careless remark. I turn my attention back to Amelia and Leon when I hear his voice drop into a dangerous territory—vicious, cruel, vengeful.
“I’d love for you to try, bitch. It’s about time I get my fucking revenge for Ny—“
Immediately, Amelia uses all of her strength to shove Leon away from her. She digs the blade even further into his neck and catches him off guard as he stumbles back. She falls to the floor, clutching her throat and staring up at him.
“Don’t. Don’t ever fucking say her name around me again.” She sucks in a ragged breath and I step forward, but Nathanial’s hand wraps tightly around my elbow as he pulls me back and against his chest. I try to keep my focus on the two ahead of me, but his hand slips down to my waist and instantly, I’m distracted by his heated touch. His lips fall behind my ear as he speaks quietly against my skin. “Let them fight.”
I surrender to Nathanial’s commend when I watch Leon slowly crouch down before her, leaning forward and placing himself directly into her space. I can tell she’s warring between mixed emotions, one second she looks ready to figh
t him head on and the next second she’s inching away from him as if she’s afraid.
“Nya,” he says quietly as he slips his fingers into the back of her long, white hair. She squirms to get away from him, but he drags her forward until her face is only inches away from his. “Nya,” he speaks the name even louder this time and I watch as her eyes shut tightly while she blocks him out. There’s something heavy coursing between them. It’s thick and strong and while I wonder if it’s simply fear and a clear past between the two, I can’t help but feel something else lingering there as well. Maybe it’s the Succubus in me, after tuning into Leon’s grid just moments ago, perhaps I’m having an easier time observing the both of them together. But it’s there, faint and refusing attention, however apparent none the less.
What the hell?
“Nya,” he shouts this time, so loudly that her eyes snap open and I flinch in Nathanial’s hold. “Fucking hear it. Remember it. Feel it. Because babe, now that you’re in my grasp, I’m going to make you pay for everything you fucking did. I’m going to make your life a living hell. Demons will be the last thing you’re afraid of, because you’ll only ever see me in your fucking nightmares.”
He releases his hold on her harshly and she falls back to her elbows. She holds his gaze as she inches forward and spits on the ground at his feet.
“Fuck you, Demon,” she bites out, but her eyes are reflecting something else entirely. Pain, regret, fear.
“Oh Millie, don’t even get me started on that fucking catastrophe.”
“Okay, not sure what the fuck is going on between the two of you. But let’s get this shit over with,” I quickly say, hoping to distract and diffuse the strange tension radiating between the two of them. I don’t care for Amelia, obviously, but I can’t deny the odd draw within me to be a barrier between the two of them.
I step forward, wrapping my hand around Leon’s thick upper arm and drag him down the hallway, leaving Nathanial and Amelia to follow on their own. We walk a few paces in silence, I can practically feel the anger rolling off of Leon in heavy waves and heating the air around us. I don’t bother asking what’s going on though, I don’t know him well enough to offer any sort of comfort.